GB1598285A - Fixing clip for coverings - Google Patents

Description

PATENT SPECIFICATION

( 11) 1 598 285 ( 21) Application No 15805/78 ( 22) Filed 21 Apr 1978 ( 19) ( 31) Convention Application No 2718170 ( 32) Filed 23 Apr 1977 in ( 33) Fed Rep of Germany (DE) ( 44) Complete Specification Published 16 Sep 1981 l ( 51) INT CL 3 F 16 B 19/10 ( 52) Index at Acceptance E 2 A 110 403 CSH ( 54) A FIXING CLIP FOR COVERINGS ( 71) WE, FORD MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, of Eagle Way, Brentwood, Essex CM 13 3 BW, a British Company, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the

following statement:-

The present invention relates to a fixing clip for coverings, especially upholstered covers such as motor vehicle trim elements.

One conventional clip for this purpose has a retainer head for holding the covering extending perpendicularly to the clip axis, a sealing collar disposed parallel to the retainer head, and detent elements joining the latter and formed by at least two mutually opposite spring tongues or arms which cooperate through detent shoulders with a locating hole in a body panel to which the covering is to be mounted For example German Patent Specification No 1 243 536 described a clip of this type in which the detent elements consist of two mutually opposite spring tongues which are formed by slotting a taper pin, adjoining a cylindrical reduced diameter used as a detent, which pin is of larger diameter than the diameter of the locating hole in the body panel.

It has been discovered, where these fixing clips are concerned, that the tip, which is made of injection-moulded low-elasticity synthetic material, can be manufactured with adequate accuracy but that the tolerances on the locating holes in the body panel as well as the quality of the edge finish in the holes, fluctuates widely so that the clip is alternately either too tight or too loose in the hole, when assembled If the fixing clip fits too tightly in the hole, then it is virtually impossible to remove the trim element or the like for repair purposes for example, whilst if the flip fits too loosely, because of the various vibrations which develop in a motor vehicle, the trim element may start to rattle.

Another fixing clip of the kind described above is disclosed in German Utility Model No 1 930 693 In the case of this clip, the detent elements are formed by two mutually opposite spring arms which cooperate through elbow-shaped shoulders with a locating hole in the body panel, with this clip, the same difficulties are encountered, namely that the quality of the fit of the clip depends very largely upon the tolerance of the locating holes in the body panel as well as upon the quality of the finish of the hole edges.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a fixing clip for coverings comprising a retainer head adapted for connection to the covering, a shank extending axially away from the retainer head, a collar extending radially from the shank and connected to the shank by articulated linkages, each linkage comprising a clip arm, articulated at one end to the collar and a spreader arm articulated at one end to the other end of the clip arm, the other end of the spreader arm being articulated to the shank, each linkage being arranged so that movement of the collar along the shank from an open position towards a closed position adjacent the retainer head causes the end of the clip arm connected to the spreader arm to move radially away from the axis of the shank, and a detent formed in the shank adjacent the retainer head with which the collar can engage to hold the collar adjacent the retainer head.

In the preferred fixing clip in accordance with the invention, where a conventional retainer head, which includes a neck and sealing collar, is connected to a central, rectangular shank connected through a deliberate weak point to a supporting disc of part-circular shape on whose underside two clip arms extending parallel to the clip axis and away from the supporting disc, these tn Q 1 1 598 285 arms having substantially rectangular crosssections, are formed in such a manner that they can be inclined, the other ends of said arms being articulated through a film hinge to respective spreader arms of rectangular cross-section extending back substantially parallel to the clip axis and the supporting disc, such spreader arms having their other ends articulated to the end of the shank through film hinges and the shank being provided at the top of its transverse sides with detent grooves cooperating with the break edges of the deliverate weak point, which edges are designed as detent edges, the retaining of the fixing clip is effected not in the locating hole in the body panel, as in the conventional methods, but instead at the detent edges on the supporting disc 8 which is fixed in the locating hole in the body panel by virtue of the deployment of the clip and spreader arms by the shank The dimensions of the clip and spreader arms are here so contrived that they can still be freely inserted even when the locating hole has its minimum size After the supporting disc has moved into contact with the body panel, by continuing to apply pressure on the shank the deliberate weak point is ruptured and the clipping and spreading motion on the part of the clip and spreader arms, is initiated The spread position of the clip and spreader arms is so contrived in this context that even when the locating hole has its maximum dimension, the supporting disc is securely fixed in position At the end of the inward motion of the shank, the break edges of the deliberate weak point, these being designed as detent edges, engage in the detent grooves formed at the top transverse side of the shank, and thus secure the fixing clip in its inserted position.

It will readily be appreciated that the force now required to insert and withdraw the fixing clip depends no longer upon the widely fluctuating tolerances on the locating hole in the body panel, but simply upon the dimensioning of the detent edges of the deliberate weak point in the supporting disc and of the detent grooves in the shank, which dimensions can be maintained with relatively greater accuracy.

The invention will be explained in more detail making reference to two examples illustrated in the attached drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates a vertical section through a fixing clip in accordance with the invention, in position on the body panel but not yet fixed; Figure la illustrates an oblique view of the clip in accordance with the invention, before assembly; Figure 2 is a vertical section through a clip in accordance with the invention, in the fixed position; Figure 2 a is an oblique view of a clip in accordance with the invention in the assembled condition; Figure 3 is a vertical section through another embodiment of a clip in accordance with the invention, before fixing; Figure 3 a illustrates an oblique view of the clip of Figure 3; Figue 4 is a vertical section through the further embodiment of a clip, this time in the fixed position; Figure 4 a is an oblique view of the clip shown in Figure 4.

Because the two examples of a fixing clip in accordance with the invention, shown in the drawings, are identical to one another with the exception of minor differences, identical references have been used for identical parts and the mode of operation of the clip has been explained only once.

In the Figures, a fixing clip 1 or 1 ', in a manner known per se exhibits a flat, discshaped retainer head 2 extending perpendicularly to the clip axis, a central circular neck 3 having a length corresponding to the thickness of the trim element 4 or the like, and a thin disc-shaped sealing collar 5 extending parallel to the retainer head 2.

The sealing collar 5 is followed by a central, rectangular shank 6 connected through a deliberate weak point 7 to a supporting disc 8 of part-circular shape.

Formed on the underside of the supporting disc 8 are two substantially rectangular section clip arms 9 extending parallel to the clip axis and away from the supporting disc 8, these arms being designed to be inclined.

The other ends of the clip arms 9 are articulated through respective film hinges 10 in each case to a spreader arm 11 of rectangular cross-section extending back towards the end of the shank 6 The other ends of the spreader arms 11 are articulated through film hinges 12 to that end of the shank 6 which extends beyond the deliberate weak point 7 The rectangular shank 6 is provided at the top of its transverse sides with detent grooves 13 cooperating with the break edges, these being designed as detent edges, of the deliberate weak point 7 in the following fashion: The fixing clip 1 is inserted into an opening in the trim element 4 in a conventional way The trim element 4 (or to put it more generally an upholstered covering element) with a number of fixing clips 1 in position in it, is now offered up to the body panel 14 which is to be covered, the clip arms 9 because of their dimensioning being readily insertable even into a locating hole 15 of minimum size, until the supporting disc 8 comes up against the body panel 14.

Through an ensuing knock or pressure applied with the heel of the hand to the trim element in the neighbourhood of the individual fixing clips 1, this in the manner 1 598 285 conventionally employed when assembling these elements, the deliberate weak point 7 is ruptured and the shank 6 moves through, elastically deforming the detent edges ( 17) formed at the resultant opening 16, spreading apart the spreader arm 11 in doing so so that these, because of their articulating attachment to the clip arms 9, incline the latter outwards until the supporting disc 8 is firmly clamped in the locating hole 15 in the body panel 14 At the end of the inward motion of the shank 6, the detent edges 17 engage in the detent grooves 13 in the transverse sides of the shanks 6 and thus retain the fixing clip in its assembled position.

The engaging, securing and disengaging force required in the case of the fixing tip in accordance with the invention, is thus influenced by parameters which the designer can arbitrarily vary by corresponding dimensioning of the detent edges 17 and the detent grooves 13, and which can be kept within tight tolerances because of the way in which the fixing clip is manufactured by injectionmoulding.

The fixing clip in accordance with the invention can thus reliably be so designed that a desired retaining force is reliably and uniformly achieved.

The further embodiment of a fixing clip 1 ' in accordance with the invention, shown in Figures 3 and 4, has substantially the same construction as that shown in Figures 1 and 2 The sole distinction resides in the provision of the extension 18 which has a conical guidehead 19 whose base overlaps the clip and spreader arms 9 and 11 The guide head 19 is intended to facilitate the introduction of the clip 1 ' in the locating hole 15 and to prevent premature spreading of the clip arms 9 should they happen to strike one side of the rim of the hole.

The same function can also be performed by the projections 20 formed on the clip arms 9 and indicated in the Figures 1 and 3 in the form of chaindotted lines.

As an alternative, the deliberate weak points 7, which form the detent edges 17, may be arranged at the longer sides of the rectangular shank 6 nearer the supporting disc 8 rather than at the end of the shank, as illustrated The sides of the shank 6 are therefore spaced from the supporting disc 8, which facilitates the formation of correctlyshaped detent edges for engagement with the grooves 13.

In amplification, it may be pointed out that the diameter of the sealing collar 5 is made larger than that of the supporting disc 8 in such a fashion that it overlaps the latter and thus seals the locating hole 15 in a manner known per se.

Claims (9)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1 A fixing clip for coverings comprising a retainer head adapted for connection to the covering, a shank extending axially away from the retainer head, a collar extending radially from the shank and connected to the shank by articulated linkages, each linkage comprising a clip arm articulated at one end to the collar and a spreader arm articulated at one end to the other end of the clip arm, the other end of the spreader arm being articulated to the shank, each linkage being arranged so that movement of the collar along the shank from an open position towards a closed position adjacent the retainer head causes the end of the clip arm connected to the spreader arm to move radially away from the axis of the shank, and a detent formed in the shank adjacent the retainer head with which the collar can engage to hold the collar adjacent the retainer head.

2 A fixing clip according to claim 1 wherein the collar is also connected to the shank by means of a frangible connection which normally retains the collar in its open position.

3 A fixing clip according to claim 2 wherein the shank is of rectangular crosssection

4 A fixing clip according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the clip arms and spreader arms are connected to each other and to the collar and shank by film hinges.

A fixing clip according to any one of claims 1 to 4 formed as an integral plastics moulding.

6 A fixing clip according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the retainer head comprises two parallel discs connected by a central axial neck.

7 A fixing clip according to claim 6 wherein the disc nearer the detent is larger in diameter than the other disc.

8 A fixing clip according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the end of the shank remote from the retainer head terminates in a conical guide the base of which radially overlaps the clip and spreader arms when the collar is in its open position.

9 A fixing clip according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the clip arms are provided with projections for guiding the clip into an aperture when the collar is in its open position.

A fixing clip substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2, la or 2 a or with reference to Figures 3, 4, 3 a and 4 a of the drawings.

R.W DRAKEFORD, Chartered Patent Agent.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, by Croydon Printing Company Limited, Croydon, Surrey 1981.

Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC 2 A l AY, from which copies may be obtained.